1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention encompasses Class 137 for flowable materials, Sub-Class 123 for siphons, and Class 415 for rotary pumps and Sub-Class 80 for runners. The invention relates to improvements in owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 and related prior art for a siphon pump technology that includes system components and apparatuses comprising an inlet anti-backflow valve, a system flow control valve, a metering chamber, an automatic regulating chamber, and a turbine. Improvements benefit the safe and controlled transfer of liquids such as water, chemicals, petroleum-based fuels, bio-fuels, beverages, and food products to achieve energy efficiency in operations and applications, and energy production via applications in hydropower generation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Descriptions of prior art related to an improved siphon pump technology are based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000, a registered copyright, a prototype flow control valve, and hydropower technologies. Each description presents state of the art, identified problems or issues, and solutions.
a. Prior Art—Siphon System                FIG. 1 illustrates the elements and configuration for a siphon system described in copyright registration 1960282. The system comprises a two-way system flow control valve 1 arranged between the open inlet of the first siphon conduit 2 and the second siphon conduit 3 having an anti-backflow valve 4 within the outlet. Opening and closing of the anti-backflow valve 4 responds automatically to opening and closing, respectively, of the control valve 1. Priming the system requires filling the system with liquid at the first siphon conduit 2 open inlet while holding the anti-backflow valve 4 at the same level. Once filled, the system flow control valve 1 is closed to retain prime in the system for operation, transport, or storage. Placing the inlet of the first siphon conduit 2 in the liquid supply source and opening the control valve 1 to start siphon flow automatically opens the anti-backflow valve 4 to self-prime the system by purging entrained air. Once primed, operation of the system control valve 1 permits automatic siphoning and precision control of system start, stop, restart, and variable flow for rapid, repeated and safe operations without further priming, providing the first siphon conduit 2 remains within the supply source to retain full-system prime.        The problems associated with this configuration include required self-priming to initially purge air for a continuous, controlled flow, and loss of prime in the first siphon conduit 2 once removed from the supply source. The siphon system described for FIG. 8 and presented in claim 1 resolves these problems by the addition of an anti-backflow valve 39 within the inlet of the first siphon conduit 2 to prevent the return of liquid to the supply source and maintain full-system prime to eliminate the need for self-priming. The improved siphon system will expand scalable applications in the controlled transfer of liquids without further priming for rapid, repeated and safe operations.        
b. Prior Art—U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 Metering Siphon Pump                FIG. 2 illustrates the independent claim 1 configuration in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 for a “Siphon Pump Having a Metering Chamber”. The patent is a pioneering breakthrough to dispense liquids above the source, control flow, retain prime, and require less energy than powered pumps. The patent presents methodologies to successfully and economically pump liquid uphill for dispensing based on the siphon principle. Although the siphon principle has a theoretical limit of approximately 34 feet to pump liquid above the supply source, a more practical limit is 25 feet. However, arranging the systems in several tiers permits the next higher system to use the lower system as a supply source, extending the application of the siphon principle to pump liquid above the 25 foot limit; an advantage for applications in water management and hydropower.        The basic process involves first priming the system at the charging inlet 10, closing the system flow control valve 1 and then opening the air admitting valve 5 to dispense liquid into a destination container 6 from the metering chamber 7 via the anti-backflow valve 8 located above the supply source. Closing the air admitting valve 5 and opening the system flow control valve 1 permits siphon flow through the first 2 and second 3 siphon conduits and metering chamber 7 to purge newly introduced air and automatically prime the system for the next dispense-purge cycle. Proper operation requires an increase in the second siphon conduit 3 length to provide sufficient prime to restore the system for the next cycle. System stoppage is accomplished by closure of both the air admitting valve 5 and the system flow control valve 1; restart is automatic via opening of the system flow control valve 1.        Technical issues were identified that limit utility, make the system less effective, or even render the system inoperable. Independent claim 1 for U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 has deficiencies that include the omission of key elements, inclusion of unnecessary components, complexity of the metering chamber, and inadequate priming and control methodologies. Findings are listed by the original claim, associated technical issues and proposed solution:        (1). Claim 1: A siphon pump system for dispensing a predetermined quantity of water from a water supply source, . . . .        Issue: Supply source is limited to water; siphons pump any liquid.        Solution: Substitute liquid for water in Claims 1-5.        (2). Claim 1a: A destination container 6 for receiving water from the water supply source;        Issue: A destination container 6 is not a necessary element for siphon pump operation.        Solution: The destination container 6 may be eliminated in new claims.        (3). Claim 1b: A holding canister 7 including an air inlet valve 5 for allowing air to enter the system and an outlet check valve 8 for controlling the rate of flow of water from the holding canister 7 into the destination container 6,        Issues: Separation of the air admitting valve 5 and the system flow control valve 1 limits control methodologies, and adds unnecessary complexity to the holding canister [metering chamber]; a critical control valve, omitted in the claims, controls the rate of flow, not the check (anti-backflow) valve 8 as specified.        Solution: Simplification of the holding canister [metering chamber] and system design with an improved multi-function system flow control valve apparatus, described for FIG. 9 and presented in claim 2, resolves the complexity and control issues.        (4). Claim 1e: A system flow control valve 1 positioned in the second siphon conduit 3 for controlling the flow of water through the first siphon conduit 2, the holding canister 7 [metering chamber], and the second siphon conduit 3; and        Claim 1g: A flow control valve 9 in the second siphon conduit 3 upstream of the anti-backflow valve 4 for controlling flow of water through the first siphon conduit 2, the holding canister 7 [metering chamber], and the second siphon conduit 3;        Issue: Both valves perform the same function within the same conduit; a duplicate valve is unnecessary for siphon pump operation.        Solution: Eliminate duplicate flow control valve 1g 9 in the second siphon conduit 3.        (5). Claim 1h: A charging inlet 10 at an upper end of the holding canister 7 [metering chamber] for initially priming the siphon pump system;        Issue: Inclusion of the charging inlet 10 adds unnecessary complexity to the holding canister 7 [metering chamber].        Solution: Simplification of the holding canister [metering chamber], and an improved single-source system flow control valve apparatus, described for FIG. 9 and presented in claim 2, resolves the complexity and control issues.        (6). Claim 2: A siphon pump system in accordance with claim 1 including an anti-backflow valve positioned in the first siphon conduit 2 for preventing return of water within the system to the water supply source.        CRITICAL ISSUE: The anti-backflow valve was added as a dependent claim, not as an independent claim element. An anti-backflow valve is required in the stand-alone independent claim to prevent escape of liquid back to the supply source, and to retain liquid within the first siphon conduit 2 during all system operations. Absence of the anti-backflow valve renders the system inoperable as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 independent claim 1.        Solution: Include an anti-backflow valve as an element in the first siphon conduit inlet presented in Claims 1-5.        (7). Omitted Claim: a required control valve in the metering chamber 7 lower outlet was omitted in all U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 claims.        CRITICAL ISSUE: A control valve is required for closure of the holding canister [metering chamber] 7 during priming, and for regulation; liquid will escape from the metering chamber 7 during priming if not present, and regulation of the dispense-purge cycle depends upon adjustment of this valve. Absence of the control valve renders the system inoperable.        Solution: Include a lower outlet control valve as an element to the modified metering chamber in claims 2 and 3.        
Issues associated with U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 and related prior art limit utility or render systems inoperable as originally claimed. The solutions described for FIG. 9 and presented in claim 2 attempt to expand utility for multiple applications, and improve system design and apparatuses for simplicity, control and functionality. Siphons are described as a gravity pumps, but are currently considered to have limited applications. Improvements will expand the potential for applications using the siphon principle as a power source to transfer liquids, dispense above the supply source, and contribute to the generation of hydropower.
c. Prior Art—U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 Automatic Timing Apparatus                FIG. 3 illustrates U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,000 dependent claim 13 for an automatic timing apparatus to control dispensing of liquids above the source from the holding canister [metering chamber] 7, automatically and self-sustaining without the aid of any powered device using a complex configuration of mechanical elements and valves for control. The basic process involves actuation of the air admitting valve 5 and system flow control valve 1 via control arms 11 and 12, respectively, responding to the holding canister [metering chamber] 7 flow filling a timing bucket 13 connected by a cable 14 and pulley 15 arrangement to a counterweight 16, and timing of the opening and closure of the air admitting 5 and flow control 1 valves controlled by a control valve 17 in the timing bucket 13 adjusted to release water at a rate to ensure full system prime, and that the air admitting valve 5 and system flow control valve 1 are not open at the same time to prevent system collapse.        (1) Claim 13: A siphon pump in accordance with claim 1 including timing apparatus for automatically periodically controlling system siphon flow and for admitting air into the holding canister [metering chamber] for releasing water contained in the holding canister [metering chamber], the timing apparatus including air admitting valve actuation means including a pulley member and a cable passing over the pulley member and having a first end engageable with and supporting a timing bucket to receive water from the holding canister [metering chamber], and a second end supporting a counterweight having a predetermined weight, the cable including a first cable clamp member engageable with a control arm connected with and operative to control opening and closing of the system flow control valve, wherein the system flow control valve is closed when the timing bucket is empty of water and the system flow control valve is open when the timing bucket contains sufficient water to exceed the weight of the counterweight, the cable including a second cable clamp member engageable with a control arm connected with and operative to control opening and closing of the air admitting valve, wherein the air admitting valve is open when the timing bucket is empty of water and the air admitting valve is closed when the timing bucket contains sufficient water to exceed the weight of the counterweight, and wherein the timing bucket includes an outlet flow control valve to permit flow of water from the timing bucket into the destination container at a predetermined flow rate.        Issue: The timing apparatus requires a variety of antiquated mechanical and magnetic devices, is very complex, oversized, and restricted to separate two-way valves, and is not commercially feasible.        Solution: A complete re-design of the apparatus is necessary to reduce size, complexity, number and type of components for a practical, dependable, and commercially viable system. The description for FIG. 10 presented in claim 3 provides an improved automatic regulating chamber apparatus with linkage to the multi-function system flow control valve apparatus, ensuring that the control valve and the air admitting valve are not open at the same time during the dispensing and purging process, and ensuring the elapse of sufficient time between dispensing and purging to restore system flow.        
d. Prior Art—Prototype System Control Valve
FIG. 4 illustrates a prototype system flow control valve 18 that combines the functions of system flow control and air admittance into a single manually operated four-way piston valve 18. The prototype valve 18 replaces the air admitting valve 5 of the holding canister [metering chamber] and the system flow control valve 1. The priming inlet 26 of the holding canister [metering chamber] 7 is not altered. The prototype comprises a four-way body 19 having a top inlet 20 for air admittance and valve stem 21 access and travel, a lower outlet 22 for admitting air into the metering chamber 7, a next-lower inlet 23 for siphon flow from the metering chamber 7, and a bottom outlet 24 for out-going siphon flow. The valve stem 21 comprises three sets of valve sections 25 to separate air flow and siphon flow by positioning the valves to permit air flow into the metering chamber 7 and simultaneously restrict siphon flow through the system, or to restrict air flow into the metering chamber 7 and simultaneously permit siphon flow through the system.                The problems associated with the prototype are massive weight and size, manual operation only, a limit of two functions, complex valve arrangements for air and liquid flow, and retention of holding chamber [metering chamber] complexity. The solution relies on the discovery that air and siphon flow could use the same conduit, but in opposite directions, because each process is conducted separately, and alternately. Therefore, the air admitting valve section 25 and conduit 22 may be eliminated by combining the air admittance and siphon flow functions via the siphon inlet conduit 23. The improved system flow control valve apparatus resolves the issues for air control, siphon flow control, dispensing, and priming as described for FIGS. 10 and 11 and presented in claims 3 and 4 with a reduction in size, weight, and complexity. The improvement maintains air flow separate from siphon flow during the dispense-purge cycle, a critical requirement to prevent system collapse, and consolidates all system functions for single-source operation.        
e. Prior Art—Hydropower Technologies                FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate current hydropower technologies for generating power from streams, reservoirs, and pumped storage ponds. Proposed improvements and apparatuses in siphon pump technology described herein contribute to energy production via turbine siphon pump systems, siphon pump intakes, and metering siphon pumps for pumped storage.        FIG. 5 illustrates a siphon turbine represented by the “Variable Speed Siphon Propeller Turbine” in operation by Derwent Hydro in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. The siphon turbine is located at a small dam 27 on a stream, and shown less the mechanical and electrical gear. Priming is achieved using a suction pump to pull upstream flow 28 into the intake 29 until it flows through the turbine 30 and outlet 31 sufficient to establish a continuous siphon flow downstream 32. The operating speed of the turbine is changed by a variable-speed control system. The system is shut down by opening a valve 33 in the siphon conduit to break the siphon. The turbine consists of a bladed shaft 34 enclosed within the turbine housing 30 for connection to hydropower generating gear.        The problems associated with the siphon turbine design include limited scalability and flow control methodology, required priming after system shut down, and proximity to the water source risking functionality and/or flood damage. A solution is described for FIG. 12 and presented in claim 5 to incorporate a turbine into a siphon pump system having an improved system flow control valve apparatus, an anti-backflow valve in the first siphon conduit inlet, and an anti-backflow valve in the second siphon conduit outlet. The system flow control apparatus features single-source system control for priming and instant response for start, stop, restart, and variable flow necessary for controlled hydropower generation. System design with anti-backflow valves at inlet and outlet terminuses maintains full-system prime even at shut down. Placement of both the control valve and turbine at the crown permits access for operation, maintenance and protection from flooding up to 25 feet above the supply source, and at a safe distance from the supply source. Since power generation is determined by flow control, the turbine siphon pump system will replace the priming pump, variable-speed control system, and siphon-breaking valve. Importantly, the improved system may be scaled from portable low-power low-head applications on streams to fixed high-power high-head facilities at reservoirs.        FIG. 6 illustrates a typical siphon intake or penstock at a hydropower generating facility represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,904 for a micro-hydroelectric power plant. The turbine is located below the supply source 28 at a reservoir dam 27 with a siphon penstock inlet 29 upstream 28 and system outlet 31 downstream 32. Opening a siphon-breaking valve 33 at the siphon crown will shut the system down, while speed control and priming require separate powered equipment.        The problems associated with the siphon penstock design include lack of prime retention, limited flow control, and required priming at system shut down. The solution is described for FIG. 9 and presented in claim 2 for a siphon pump system having an improved system flow control valve apparatus. The anti-backflow valve at the second siphon outlet may be directly connected to the turbine input, with single-source control for priming and instant response for start, stop, restart, and variable flow. System design with anti-backflow valves at inlet and outlet terminuses maintains full-system prime even at shut down for instant restart response. The improved system flow control valve apparatus may be located up to 25 feet above the supply source, and at a safe distance from the supply source for ease of operation, maintenance, and protection from flooding. Since power generation is determined by flow control, the improved turbine siphon pump system will replace the priming pump, turbine speed control system, and siphon-breaking valve.        FIG. 7 illustrates a typical hydropower generating facility having a pumped storage system represented by the TVA Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant located on the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, Tenn. During low demand periods, water is pumped from a stream or reservoir 35, into a bi-directional conduit 36, through the bi-directional turbine 30, and upward through a bi-directional conduit 37 to a hilltop reservoir 38 to create a supply source. During periods of high demand, water is released in the opposite direction to drive the turbine 30 at a lower elevation to generate hydropower.        The problem with pumped storage systems is the electrical energy required to pump the water to a higher elevation, and limited to periods when demand is low. Solutions to elevate water into a reservoir are described for FIGS. 10 and 11, and presented in claims 3 and 4 for metering siphon pump systems. By arranging metering siphon pumps in a tiered fashion using the next-lowest system as a supply source, water may be pumped to elevations exceeding the normal 25 foot limitation for siphon technology separate from any generating equipment, and without any restrictions due to demand periods.        